Peace of mind is the key to transforming destiny. How to practice meditation “Shamatha About what shamatha gave me

There is one remarkable image in the Central Khurul in Elista (on the gallery on the second floor). An elephant is led there along a long and winding path, which gradually turns from black to white. The elephant is also accompanied by various other animals.

This is a classic Buddhist story; it is called “Mind on the path of shamatha - peace of mind.” Today we call such images infographics: the tankha (icon) depicts the successive stages of purifying the mind.

1. At the first stage, the elephant and monkey are completely black - our mind is not able to concentrate on the object of meditation. The black elephant (consciousness) first follows the lead of the black monkey (wandering thoughts born in an excited mind). We must catch this elephant by throwing a noose of mindfulness around it, hooking it with the hook of vigilance and forcing it to concentrate on the path we have chosen.

2. At the 1st and 2nd stages, the monk fails to catch the “elephant” of his mind, and he runs away from it without looking back.

3. At the 3rd stage, the monk throws a lasso, and the elephant turns its head. The elephant and monkey begin to gradually lighten, which indicates a gradual increase in clarity and stability of thought. Also at this stage, a rabbit appears on the back of the elephant, it symbolizes the subtle dullness of the mind that prevents us from seeing the object of meditation clearly.

4-5. From the 4th to 5th stage, the animals look back and we notice that our mind is distracted and immediately bring it back to the object of meditation.

6. At the 6th stage we become the guide of our mind and thoughts.

7. At the 7th stage, the rabbit disappears, since subtle dullness and agitation of the mind arise extremely rarely, and when it does occur, it stops with little effort.

8. At the 8th stage, the main obstacles to meditation are overcome - the rabbit and monkey disappear, and the elephant becomes completely white.

9. At the last, ninth stage, where the monk is depicted riding an elephant, he acquires flexibility of mind and body.

10. He conquered the “elephant” of his mind and achieved the unity of shamatha (pacification of the mind) and vipashyana (insight into the essence of phenomena).

Here are some more similar images from various other places:

Hello, dear Reader.

Our story today is about how to achieve a state of concentration, clarity and transparency of the mind, and get rid of delusions.

If we go back 2,500 years, we can say that the very foundations of Buddhism originated in meditation. Legend claims that by plunging into a state freed from thoughts and the sensory side, the Buddha was able to achieve Enlightenment. It was this event that gave rise to a new philosophical teaching. The shamatha (samadha) meditation technique is one of the most accessible practices used in all areas of Buddhism without exception. It is quite simple and natural for a human being.

Basics

Meditation– this is a special type of mental exercise in spiritual practice or performed for health purposes. The end result of such activities is the clarification and pacification of the mind, getting rid of delusions and fears that prevent one from seeing objective reality, and achieving a state of mental peace. The technique is quite simple, and with regular practice, the shamatha state can be achieved within a few months.

Principles

The Buddha compared mastering the shamatha technique to taming a wild elephant. The stages of the meditator's path are reflected in the form of an image in the famous Tibetan woodcut. It was created by the Teacher of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Trijang Rimpoche.

The curves of the difficult path in the image are not accidental and symbolic; they mean six important principles that everyone who has begun the path of shamatha must adhere to:

• receiving recommendations and instructions;
• mastering acquired skills;
• repetition;
• attention and alertness of mind;
• continuity and persistence;
• state of perfection.

steps

Nine images characterize the same number of steps of shamatha. In an allegorical and visual form, changes in the state of mind and consciousness of the one who began the difficult path to comprehending the Truth are reflected: a monk whose hands hold a lasso and a hook, a monkey and an elephant.

The play of colors, black and white images is a step-by-step path to peace and getting rid of delusions that close the mind. The lasso is a symbol of mindfulness and awareness, the hook is a symbol of vigilance, the elephant is consciousness, which is colored black at the beginning of the path, and the monkey is a symbol of the wandering mind.

The deep meaning inherent in the series of images can be stated as follows: in order for black to become white, in order to achieve awareness, it is necessary to throw a lasso over consciousness and, hooking it with the hook of vigilance, lead it to Liberation. Only this way will help calm the wandering mind.

You cannot achieve Samadhi without going through all nine steps. Consistently replacing each other. Tibetan woodcut images reflect these stages:

1. At the very beginning of the path, the seeker of Enlightenment is at a great distance from his mind. There are too many obstacles, the elephant follows the monkey.
2. Attention helps the meditator get closer to the elephant; through the blackness, white spots can be seen on the monkey, which symbolizes a decrease in mental arousal.
3. The meditator and his mind have met closely and are no longer moving away from each other, although the monkey is still ahead and is trying to pull the elephant behind him.
4. The gap between the mind and the meditator is reduced even further. There is a lot more white in the picture.
5. The roles change, and the meditator now walks in front of the elephant, leading it along.
6. There is no need to control attention. The return of meditation is inevitable, the mind is controlled by consciousness.
7. Almost complete control, only small dark spots indicate minor obstacles on the path to Realization.
8. Natural and continuous meditation that does not require much effort.
9. The shamatha practitioner and the elephant, symbolizing the mind, are in complete peace. They are next to each other and there is nothing that can prevent this union. Shamatha has been achieved.

On the path to understanding shamatha, consistent movement is of utmost importance. At each stage described, a stop is required to improve skills.

Shamatha - a state of peace and serenity, the ability to contemplate real world without the stimulating influence of the mind.

Start

Before practicing shamatha meditation, you need to determine three things that matter:

• place;
• correct posture;
• object selection.

Place

In order to start practice, it is not at all necessary to retire to an abandoned corner, choosing a deep forest or mountains. It is enough to find a convenient, comfortable room where no one can disturb the peace.

Position

Posture is also important. Of course, it is good if this is a sitting position with crossed legs, however, not everyone will find it comfortable, so for a beginner it is recommended to take a comfortable sitting position.

The position of the hands is also important: they should be located at the level of the stomach, the right one on top of the left, with the thumbs touching each other. The back is straight and not tense, the tongue is pressed to the upper palate, the eyes are relaxed and slightly closed.

An object

In the shamatha technique, the substrate on which attention will be concentrated can be the breath (this is exactly the practice that Buddha spoke about) or any object suitable for visualization.

Focusing on breathing movements is one of the simplest meditation techniques. During practice, you need to keep your attention only on the movements. chest– inhale and exhale, preventing consciousness from switching to other objects, thoughts or actions.

If an agitated mind distracts attention, you should return to the starting point and again try to concentrate, discarding extraneous external and internal irritants. After a short time, with regularity and perseverance, you will notice that it becomes easier to concentrate and control the wandering of thoughts.

The shamatha technique is the foundation on which other Buddhist practices are based. Without mastering it, there is no movement towards tantra, mahamudra, dzogchen.

Possible mistakes

The path through all the stages in order to achieve shamatha can be compared to the flight of an eagle. To take off, he uses the force of flapping his wings, but, having reached the desired height, he simply soars without putting much effort into it. To achieve freedom, you should know the five mistakes of meditation and ways to avoid them.

The vices that prevent you from taking off and soaring are:

1. Laziness. The most common mistake.
2. Distraction from the object. The reason for this is a disobedient wandering excited mind. The meditator forgets the object with which the meditation is connected.
3. Restlessness and loss of clarity of thought.
4. The “antidote” is not applied when it needs to be applied.
5. An "antidote" is used when it is not needed.

You can achieve progress by avoiding the listed mistakes. Here is a list of “antidotes” necessary for use. Their number reaches seven, and the first four are salvations from laziness:

• Faith. A sincere belief that achieving shamatha will bring great benefits.
• Inspiration. It is directly related to belief, because it is this that generates the desire to engage in meditative practice.
• Pleasure. It arises from the first two, because faith and inspiration are the trigger for the emergence of enthusiasm and pleasure.
• Achieving peace of mind.
• Attention. This “antidote” helps to concentrate on the object of meditation and avoid the second mistake.
• Vigilance. Helps control states of extreme agitation or loss of lucidity. There are special meditative skills that help you maintain the flow of consciousness.
• Be able to let go of the mind. A similar skill helps with the fifth error of meditation.

Shamatha as a self-development technique

Even for people who are far from religious views, the shamatha technique can bring invaluable benefits, leading to peace of mind and increasing personal effectiveness. It has pronounced therapeutic properties in our difficult age of emotions and endless stress.

Conclusion

Dear Reader, if you are interested in the topic of our article, share it in in social networks. And we say goodbye until the next time on the blog!

01.09.2014 4

Achieving peace of mind is a lot of work!

1. You must have a strong desire to achieve peace of mind, set a goal and prescribe daily actions that bring you closer to this goal
2. The desire to live in goodness (Sattva) and surround yourself with Sattva as much as possible inside and outside yourself.
3. Over the course of six months, increase the time devoted to meditation from five minutes to at least an hour. Turn your entire daily life into meditation.
4. Speech control.
5. Be in nature as often as possible.
6. Drink two liters of water a day.
7. Maintain a healthy and nutritious diet:
· vegetarianism and raw food diet;
· freshly prepared food (not reheated);
· food should be oily and sweetish;
· consumption of whole grains;
Regular meals at certain times;
· It is important to eat in a conscious state of mind and not to overeat;
· do not eat food prepared by evil, primitive people and (or) prepared in a dirty place.
8. Regular breathing practices. conscious breathing.
9. Regular solitude.
10. Hatha Yoga.
11. Learn to endure.
12. Be in a state of “here and now.”
13. Reducing selfishness and, as a result, pride, greed, lust, etc.
14. Compliance with moral and ethical standards.
15. Selfless service and activities for the benefit of all living beings.
16. Express gratitude as often as possible and not have complaints.
17. Have healthy sleep. Go to bed on time (early) and wake up early.
18. Follow a daily routine.
19. Live in a secluded place, as far away from crowds of people as possible.
20. Visit secluded holy places and where beautiful nature. Be able to renounce internally and externally total mass of people.
21. Control of feelings. Listen

22. Sattvic music, sattvic lectures and trainings.
23. Physical exercise: swimming, walking, aerobic exercise.
24. Respect for everyone and, first of all, for the teacher.
25. Develop philosophical view for life. See the teacher and God in every situation.
26. Regularly read mantras, prayers, scriptures.
27. Choose communication.
28. Visit baths with a temperature of no more than 80-90 C.
29. Regular massage or self-massage of the head, legs, arms.
30. Engage in activities according to your purpose.
31. Do not become attached to the fruits of your labor.
32. Surround yourself as much as possible with Sattva (goodness)
33. One of the most important: choose communication with internally peaceful, good people, spiritual seekers.

Don't have the time or desire for this?
Soon illnesses, failures in your personal life and career, an unhappy life, lack of intuition, blows of fate, bad relationships with other people, etc. will come.

"Whatever suffering arises,

It has its cause in reaction.

If all reaction ceases,

Then there will be no more suffering

The real kamma, the real cause of suffering, is the reaction of the mind." Buddha, Dvayatanupassana Sutta, III-12

“There is a sphere of experience beyond the entire realm of the mind, it is neither this world nor that nor both, it is beyond the limits of the Moon and the Sun. This I call non-arising, non-disappearing, non-abiding, non-death, non-re-birth. It is without support, without becoming, without foundation. This is the end of suffering." Buddha, Mahatanhasankhaya Sutta, 38

“Moksha (liberation) means only the annihilation of the mind.” Sivananda Swami

“Yoga (union with the Supreme, liberation) is the curbing of successive waves of the mind (calmation of the mind)” Yoga Sutras 1-2

cleaning the entrance gates. Above the entrance there is a khorlo, the earliest, according to historians and archaeologists, a Buddhist image symbolizing the Dharma - the Teachings of the Buddha. The wheel is believed to be an ancient Indian symbol of protection and creation, found for the first time in our history on the clay seals of the Harappan civilization (circa 2500 BC) as a solar symbol. The wheel, or chakra, is the main attribute of the Hindu god Vishnu, who maintains the established order in the Universe; its six-spoked disc, called the Sudarshana Chakra, represents the wheel of the manifest Universe - a symbol of movement, continuity and change, ever rotating like the celestial spheres. The chakra can be a weapon, in which case it has six, eight, twelve or eighteen sharp blades and is used as a throwing disc. In Buddhism, the wheel is the main emblem of Chakravartin (Sanskrit: “He who turns the wheel”) - the universal monarch who rules in accordance with the principles of Buddhist Teachings. The wheel is called Dharmachakra - the wheel of Dharma, i.e. Buddhist Teachings. Literally translated from Tibetan CHE-CHI KHOR-LO (Dharmachakra in Tibetan) means “wheel of transformation”, spiritual transformation. The rapid rotation of the wheel means rapid spiritual changes to which the Teachings of the Buddha lead. Comparing the wheel with the Chakravartin's throwing weapon reveals its ability to cut off obstacles and illusions. The three parts of the wheel - the hub, spokes and rim - symbolize the three aspects of Buddhist teachings: ethics, wisdom and concentration. Hub, i.e. the very center, the core of the wheel represents the Vinaya - the rules of discipline or ethics that concentrates and stabilizes the mind. The sharp spokes symbolize wisdom or discriminating awareness cutting through ignorance. The rim represents meditative concentration. It includes the rotation of the wheel itself and also facilitates it. The wheel with a thousand spokes, like the rays of the sun, symbolizes the thousand wonderful deeds and teachings of all Buddhas. The wheel with eight spokes symbolizes the Eightfold Path, as well as the spread of the Buddha's Teachings in eight directions - the four main cardinal directions and the four intermediate ones. The wheel as an auspicious symbol is made of pure gold extracted from the Jambud River flowing in our world system i.e. on the continent of Jambudvipa. It is usually depicted with eight Vajra-like spokes and a hub decorated with a triple or quadruple "joyful whirlwind" (Tib. GA-KYIL or GAN-CHIL), twisted into a spiral, like the Chinese Yin-Yang symbol. The triple ganchil signifies the Three Treasures: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, or victory over the three poisons: ignorance, passion and anger, and in the context of the Dzogchen teachings - the Ground, the Path and the Fruit. The quadruple ganchil, corresponding in four different colors to the four primary elements and cardinal directions, symbolizes the Four Noble Truths, or, at the level of practice of the highest Tantras, the ascent and descent of the white and red drops of Bodhichitta (special essences subtle body, contemplated at the level of highest yoga) through the four chakras of the central channel, generating the Four Joys. The rim of the wheel is depicted as a simple ring with small gold decorations on eight sides, sometimes made in the form of a frame with precious stones. A silk ribbon or scarf usually forms the drapery behind the rim of the wheel, and its lower part rests on a lotus base. If the golden wheel with eight spokes is depicted accompanied by two deer, then this symbol denotes the first sermon of the Buddha's teachings in Deer Park in Sarnath, near the city of Varanasi in India. This sermon is known as the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, when the Buddha expounded the foundation of all the Teachings and traditions of Buddhism - the Four Noble Truths and the content of the Noble Eightfold Path - to five ascetics who became the very first Buddhist monks, members of the Sangha - the community of practitioners of the Buddhist Teaching.

Shamatha ( zhi-gnas, being at peace) is a calm and stable state of mind, which includes the accompanying mental factor ( sems-byung, secondary awareness) feelings of physical and mental readiness ( shin-sbyangs, flexibility). It is a joyful feeling of being able to focus on any object for as long as we wish.

Shamatha remains firmly on an object or state of mind. This may be a sensory object, such as the breath, or a visualized mental object, such as a Buddha image. Indian master of the 4th or 5th century Asanga in the Anthology of Special Branches of Knowledge ( Chos mngon-pa kun-las btus-pa, Skt. Abhidharma-samuccaya) places special emphasis on focusing specifically on the mental object.

Following his instructions, the Gelug tradition usually uses a visualized Buddha image as the object of concentration.

The Kagyu and Sakya traditions also use objects that the Gelug school would classify as sensual - images of Buddhas, flowers, stones, and so on. This does not violate Asanga's injunction. According to traditions other than the Gelug, the objects of sensory cognition include only sensory information, such as fragments of colorful shapes, which are not clearly divided into “this” or “that”. Concentrating on a buddha image or a flower involves purely mental cognition, as we construct a buddha image or flower from these fragments with the help of the mind.

However, most meditation masters of all Tibetan traditions recommend choosing a Buddha image—either a visualized image or the image itself—as it helps our practice of safe direction (refuge), bodhichitta, and tantra. By focusing on the buddha figure, we can also focus on good qualities buddha ( yon-tan). Then our concentration can be accompanied by belief in the fact ( dad-pa, belief) that Buddhas have these qualities, and we can also direct attention to them as qualities that we ourselves strive to acquire.

To achieve shamatha, you can choose other objects of concentration, direct attention to them in other ways. useful ways and accompany concentration with other creative emotions and states of mind. For example:

With the four immeasurable states of mind ( tshad-med bzhi) - equanimity, love, compassion and joy - we focus alternately on ourselves, friends, strangers and those we don't like.

With equalization and replacement of attitudes towards oneself and others ( bdag-gzhan mnyam-brje) we focus on ourselves and on everyone else, directing attention to everyone as equals. And, continuing our concentration, we direct our attention to others with greater care with which we previously treated ourselves, and to ourselves with less care with which we previously treated others. Shantideva gave an interpretation of these objects of concentration in the text “Entering the Path of Bodhisattva Behavior.”

With four close mindfulness placements ( dran-pa nyer-bzhag bzhi) we focus on the body as unclean, on feelings as suffering, on states of mind as impermanent and on all phenomena as devoid of true identities.

With the Four Noble Truths, we focus on the changing aggregates from the perspective of true problems and true reasons problems and on your mind in terms of cessation and true paths.

On the other hand, the focus of our attention may remain undirected to a specific object ( dmigs-med). You can stay focused:

in a state of love and compassion, which is not directed at certain beings, but spreads to everyone, like sunlight;

on emptiness, when lack of direction means lack of direction towards true existence;

on the mind (mental activity) as such, without directing attention to the objects of knowledge, as if they existed in themselves.

The final method of concentration to achieve shamatha is used in mahamudra meditations ( phyag-chen, great seal) and dzogchen ( rdzogs-chen, great completeness). There are at least four main ways of this meditation:

• In the Mahamudra Karma Kagyu tradition, we primarily focus on generally accepted objects, created on the basis of information from each of our senses (the visual image of an orange, the smell of an orange, the taste of an orange, and so on), and then - on the visualized object. When we achieve stable concentration, we focus it on the mind as such, but without focusing on the mind as an object. We are in balance in the natural state of mind, which is happiness ( bde-ba), clarity ( gsal-ba) and nudity ( stong-pa).
• In the Sakya Mahamudra tradition, we look at the visual image and then focus only on the aspect of clarity ( gsal-ba) knowledge, which creates this cognizable appearance.
• In the Gelug Kagyu Mahamudra tradition we focus on the superficial nature ( kun-rdzob, conditioned nature) of the mind as on mental activity only the creation of cognizable appearances and cognitive involvement in them ( gsal-rig-tsam, only clarity and awareness).
• In the Dzogchen tradition of the Nyingma school, we quiet the mind in a natural state between thoughts.

No matter what object we choose, we must work with it until we achieve shamatha without changing it.

Video: Dr. Alan Wallace - "What is shamatha?"
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Favorable conditions Arrow down Arrow up

To practice and achieve shamatha, six favorable conditions are needed:

1. favorable place ( yul);
2. weak attachment - to people, friends, loved ones, to food, clothing, to your body, to care, comfort, praise, blame, to sleep, and so on;
3. satisfaction with what we have - food, clothing, weather, and so on;
4. freedom from busy affairs ( ‘du-‘dzi), such as business and other worldly pursuits, gardening, cooking elaborate meals, idle conversations with fellow practitioners, telephone conversations, email correspondence, and so on;
5. pure ethical self-discipline;
6. freedom from intrusive preconceived thoughts ( rnam-rtog) about what we usually want to do: watching television and videos, using the Internet, listening to music, reading novels, studying astrological, medical literature, and so on.

Maitreya in "Filigree for the Mahayana Sutras" ( mDo-sde rgyan, Skt. Mahayanasutra-alamkara) gives five qualities of the first of these six favorable conditions (places):

1. easy availability of food and water;
2. excellent spiritual environment ( gnas) – the place must be approved and sanctified by our spiritual mentor or masters who have meditated there previously;
3. excellent geographical position (sa) – isolated, quiet place, away from people who upset us, with a pleasant view of nature, the absence of mesmerizing sounds such as the sound of running water or the ocean, and a good climate;
4. an excellent group of friends engaged in similar practices and either living nearby or practicing with us;
5. that which is necessary for a happy union (Skt. yoga) with practice, namely, you need to receive complete teachings and instructions on practice in advance, and also think about and understand them in order to get rid of questions and doubts.

Five obstacles to concentration Arrow down Arrow up

Complete teachings and instructions on shamatha primarily involve detailed teachings on the five obstacles to concentration ( nyes-pa lnga) and the eight constituent mental factors ( ‘du-byed brgyad), which are necessary to overcome them. Maitreya described these obstacles and factors in Distinguishing Between the Mean and the Extremes ( dBus-mtha’ rnam-‘byed, Skt. Madhyanta Vibhanga).

Five obstacles to concentration:

1. laziness ( le-lo) three types:

• putting off meditation until later because we don’t feel like doing it ( sgyid-lugs);
• clinging to negative or insignificant actions or things ( bya-ba ngan-zhen), such as gambling, drinking, friends who are bad influences, going to parties, and so on;
• feeling of inadequacy ( zhum-pa);

2. forgetting guiding instructions or losing the object of concentration ( gdams-ngag brjed-pa);

3. breaks due to mental mobility or mental dullness ( bying-rgod);

4. do not apply counteractions to them ( 'du mi-byed);

5. do not stop using countermeasures when they are no longer needed ( 'du-byed).

Levels of mental agility and mental dullness Arrow down Arrow up

There are two aspects of mental retention ( 'dzin-cha) object of concentration: mental placement ( gnas-cha, mental stay) and creation of appearance ( gsal-cha, clarity). The last aspect creates the cognizable appearance of the object.

Agility of mind ( rgod-pa, excitement) – a subcategory of mind wandering ( rnam-g.yeng) or distractions ( ‘phro-ba) is a disturbance of mental stay on an object under the influence of passionate desire or attachment. There are two levels of mental mobility:

• Rough mental agility. Because the hold on the object becomes too weak, we completely lose mental abiding on the object.
• Subtle mobility of the mind. We maintain a mental hold, but it is not strong enough, and therefore an implicit thought about the object of concentration or about something else appears. Even if we do not have this hidden thought, because the holding is a little tighter than necessary, we feel impatience or an “itch” and want to leave the object of concentration.

Mental dullness ( bying-ba, dullness) - interruption of concentration due to a violation of the creation of visibility, a factor of mental retention. There are three levels of mental dullness:

• Gross mental dullness. The visibility factor is too weak to make the object visible, so we lose it. There may or may not be mental fog ( rmugs-pa) (heaviness in body and mind) and drowsiness ( gnyid).
• Moderate mental dullness. We cause the object to appear, but because the object is not held firmly, there is a lack of clear focus ( ngar).
• Subtle mental dullness. We create the appearance of an object with a clear focus, but because the mental holding is still not strong enough, the created appearance lacks freshness ( gsar). Any of these levels of lethargy can be classified as a state of “absence.”

Eight Components of Mental Factors Arrow down Arrow up

To overcome laziness, we need to apply the first four of the eight mental factors:

1. belief in a fact ( dad-pa), namely the benefits of achieving shamatha;

2. it leads to conscious intention ( ‘dun-pa) concentrate;

3. it leads to joyful zeal ( brtson-‘grus), when we are happy to put effort into something constructive;

4. it leads to a feeling of readiness ( shin-sbyangs), which gives us the flexibility to practice.

Shantideva talks about four pillars ( dpung-bzhi) and two forces ( stobs-gnyis), which allow you to develop joyful zeal:

firm determination ( mos-pa) – a firm conviction in the advantages of achieving a goal and the disadvantages of not achieving it, which gives rise to an unshakable desire in us to achieve the goal;

durability ( brtan), or self-confidence ( nga-rgyal), arises when examining our ability to achieve a goal: having made sure that we can really achieve it, we systematically make efforts to do this, even if we move towards the goal either faster or slower;

joy ( dga'-ba) means that we are not content with just a little success, but rejoice at progress along the path, feeling satisfied with our efforts;

rest ( dor) is a break in case of fatigue, but not because of laziness, but in order to freshen up;

natural acceptance ( lhur-len) – acceptance about what we need to practice and what we need to get rid of in order to achieve our goals, as well as about the difficulties associated with it, after we have realistically studied them;

self-control ( dbang-sgyur) – we control ourselves and make efforts to achieve what we want.

To overcome forgetfulness of instructions or loss of an object of concentration, one should apply

5. mindfulness ( dran-pa) – memorization, mental retention of the object of concentration ( dmigs-rten), similar to "mental glue".

To get rid of mental mobility and mental dullness we need

6. vigilance ( shes-bzhin), with the help of which we check the state of our mindfulness. If, due to gross mobility of the mind or mental sluggishness, the action of the "mental glue" weakens, so that we lose the object, then vigilance prompts restorative attention ( chad-cing ‘jug-pa’i yid-byed) focus on it again. In addition, vigilance strengthens or weakens mindfulness in cases of moderate and subtle mental dullness or subtle mental mobility.

To remove the obstacle of not using countermeasures, you need

7. willingness to apply counteracting factors ( 'du-byed), which arises from two forces that enhance joyful diligence: natural acceptance of what needs to be done and what needs to be gotten rid of, and self-control.

In order to avoid using countermeasures longer than necessary, you should

8. weaken counteracting factors ( 'du mi-byed). This also applies to being aware of when to rest and when not to exert too much effort.

Concentration and alertness as natural qualities of mindfulness Arrow down Arrow up

To achieve shamatha, you need to focus your main efforts on maintaining mindfulness (“mental glue”) on the object of concentration. This means that efforts should be made primarily to hold the object. With mental glue comes focus naturally. “Mental glue” and concentration are two descriptions of the same mental activity. “Mental glue” describes it in terms of mentally holding an object, and concentration in terms of placing the mind (mentally staying) on ​​the object.

Moreover, if we compare the “mental glue” to the sun, then alertness naturally appears with it, like sunlight. In other words, if with the help of "mental glue" we can maintain a mental hold on an object, this implies that we check what state the hold is in automatically.

However, sometimes a second type of vigilance should be used, which makes a brief check of the state of the mental hold on the object. But at the same time, we use a small part of our attention without shifting its main focus from the object of meditation.

Nine stages of mental stability Arrow down Arrow up

There are nine stages of achieving the state of shamatha ( sems-gnas dgu):

1. Mindset ( sems 'jog-pa) to the object of concentration. At this stage, we can only establish, or place, attention on the object of concentration, but are not able to maintain it.
2. Installation with some duration ( rgyun-du 'jog-pa). Here we can already maintain continuous mental presence on the object, but only for a short period of time before losing it. It takes some time to realize that we have lost the object of concentration and to regain attention.
3. Recovery ( glan-te 'jog-pa). As soon as we lose our mental hold on an object, we are immediately able to recognize it and immediately regain attention.
4. Close installation ( nye-bar 'jog-pa). At this stage we do not lose our mental hold on the object, but since there is great danger that subtle mental mobility in the form of hidden thoughts, as well as middle mental dullness, may arise, we need to make great efforts to maintain their countervailing forces.
5. Taming ( dul-bar byed-pa). Here we no longer experience gross mental mobility, subtle mental mobility due to hidden thoughts, and gross and average mental dullness. However, by over-concentrating and going too deep within, we weaken the appearance-making factor that causes the object of concentration to appear. As a result, we experience a subtle mental dullness. We need to refresh and uplift ( gzengs-bstod) mental retention, remembering the benefits of achieving shamatha.
6. Calm ( zhi-bar byed-pa). Although subtle mental dullness is no longer a great danger, because we have brought the mind into an elevated state, we become too agitated and the mental hold becomes too strong. Therefore, we experience subtle mobility of the mind - we feel an “itch”, we want to leave the object of concentration. To detect this and loosen the mental hold a little, you need to increase your vigilance.
7. Complete calm ( rnam-par zhi-bar byed-pa). Even though the danger of subtle mobility or dullness of mind is minimal, we still have to make efforts to get rid of them completely.
8. Unidirectionality ( rtse-gcig-tubyed-pa). At this stage, with only a little effort in applying the “mental glue” at the beginning, we can maintain uninterrupted concentration throughout the entire session, without any level of mental vacillation and dullness.
9. Absorbed installation ( mnyam-par 'jog-pa). We can effortlessly maintain uninterrupted concentration throughout the entire session. This is the achievement of absorbed concentration ( ting-nge-‘dzin, Skt. samadhi).

We achieve shamatha when, together with absorbed concentration, we acquire the mental factor of a joyful feeling of mental and physical readiness to maintain perfect concentration on any object for as long as we wish.

Six forces Arrow down Arrow up

We move through the nine stages of mental stability, based on the following six forces ( stobs-drug):

1. The Power of Listening to Instructions ( thos-pa'i stobs) allows us to reach the first stage.
2. The Power of Contemplating Instructions ( bsam-pa'i stobs) brings us to the second stage.
3. The power of mindfulness ( dran-pa'i stobs) helps to go through the third and fourth stages.
4. The power of vigilance ( shes-bzhin-gyi stobs) contributes to the achievement of the fifth and sixth stages.
5. The power of joyful zeal ( brtson-‘grus-kyi stobs) allows you to move on to the seventh and eighth stages.
6. The power of full awareness ( yongs-su ‘dris-pa’i stobs) serves as a support for reaching the ninth stage.

Four Types of Attention Arrow down Arrow up

As we move through these nine stages of mental stability, we use four types of attention ( yid-byed bzhi). These are the four ways of mentally holding an object of concentration:

1. Diligent attention ( bsgrims-te ‘jug-pa’i yid-byed) is used in the first two stages, when keeping the mind on an object requires considerable effort and control.
2. Restorative attention ( chad-cing ‘jug-pa’i yid-byed) is applied from the third to seventh stages. Whenever errors occur, it returns our focus to the object, restores it.
3. Continuous attention ( chad-pa med-par ‘jug-pa’i yid-byed) is used in the eighth stage. Thanks to it, we can concentrate on an object continuously.
4. Spontaneous attention ( lhun-gyi ‘grub-pa’i yid-byed) is used in the ninth stage and allows you to maintain concentration on an object without effort.